Think before bouncing: Trampolines are not toys

OTTAWA - Trampolines pose serious safety hazards to children and youth, advises the Canadian Paediatric Society (CPS).

In fact, injuries from trampolines are on the rise. Most injuries happen to children between 5 and 14 years of age. That’s why the CPS recommends that trampolines not be used at home and that children not use trampolines as play equipment—indoors or outdoors.

“Trampolines are a big safety risk for kids and injuries have been on the rise,” says Dr. Danielle Grenier, the CPS Medical Affairs Director and a community paediatrician in Gatineau, Quebec.

“What many parents don’t realize is that there is no safe way to use a trampoline at home,” Dr. Grenier explains. “Injuries can happen even when adults are supervising and even when there are safety enclosures around the trampoline.”

Many injuries happen when there is more than one child on a trampoline, when children are doing ‘tricks’ such as flips or somersaults, or when children fall on the trampoline mat or off the trampoline entirely.

Trampoline-related injuries come in a wide variety: broken bones, sprains and strains, head injuries, and cuts and bruises. Some broken bones need operations and hospital stays to fix them. In rare cases, injuries to the neck or back can cause paralysis or death.

For more information about your child’s health and development and for tips on how to keep your child safe at play, visit www.caringforkids.cps.ca.

About the Canadian Paediatric Society

The Canadian Paediatric Society is a national advocacy association that promotes the health needs of children and youth. Founded in 1922, the CPS represents more than 3,300 paediatricians, paediatric subspecialists and other child health professionals across Canada.